be parties of Malays, in prows, who come over to procure sandal-wood and beech-lemer, articles which form so valuable a part of their trade, particularly with China. In addition to these particulars, the narrator reports, that he fell in with numbers of hippopotamuses and ourang outangs, animals of whose existence in New Holland we have never before heard even a surmise. The most important part of the discovery, supposing the statement of this man to be correct, is the existence of a river such as he describes; and there is no doubt that the Government will immediately take proper measures to ascertain the fact."

Two small fixed lights will be set during the whole night, one at 120 yards to the S. 41 deg. W. of the Point of the Rock at the left of the entrance into the Port of Harfleur, and the other at 284 yards from the first, in the same direction. To find the course to be steered, in order to enter the

port and avoid the rocks, these two lights must be kept in a line. In fine weather they may be perceived at a distance of about a sea league and a half. At the same time, there will also be set two small fixed lights, during the night, at Port Breton, in the Isle d'Ajeu; the one at the head of the jetty, to the right of the entrance into the harbour, and the other on the opposite shore. These two lights must be kept in a line in order to enter the port, and may be seen at sea, in fine weather, two leagues off. The entrance into Port Breton is, however, 30 very narrow, that it cannot be attempted in the night without great danger, even with these new lights, but by a pilot intimately acquainted with the passage. The French Consul at Malta has sent to Marseilles, for the information of navigators, the precise position of the marine volcano between Sicily and Malta, it being necessary to sail with the utmost precaution, when within a certain distance of the spot at which the late island made its transitory appearance.

Assessed Taxes.-The following statement of the Assessed Taxes for the year 1830, under different heads, is given in the Cabinet Annual Register :

Windows

£1,185,478 1,361,825

Inhabited Houses

Servants

295,122

This, says the Spectator, seems to settle the question of fact, let the inferences be dealt with as they may.

By the new Hackney-Coach Act, there is a clause in the 56th section, which empowers Magistrates to fine hackney-coachmen who shall use insulting language or called the compensation clause, and is but be rude to any person whatsoever. This is little known.

New Diving Apparatus.-The Board of Admiralty lately sent down to Sheerness the invention of a very ingenious apparatus, for the

purpose of making trial of it, under the inspection of Sir John Beresford. The diver descends into the water by a ladder, where he can remain for a length of time, and can walk about the "ocean's oozy bed" with perfect safety, and even without feeling any suffocating sensation. The apparatus is extremely simple in its construction; it consists of a metal cap, or covering for the head, with two tubes or hoses affixed to it; these lead to an air-pump, which is kept constantly at work during the descent. Two glasses are fitted in the cap, by which he is enabled to see any thing, and to pick up the smallest article. His dress, including the gloves, is a preparation of Indian rubber; so that he is not exposed to wet or cold; for upon removing the dress and cap, the diver appears perfectly dry and warm.

Incomes of the Bishops of England and Wales.-The following is given, by a correspondent of" the Times," as an authentic statement of the present incomes of the Bishops of England and Wales, taking a fair average of seven years: Archbishop of Canterbury, 27,000l.; York, 11,0007.; Bishop of London, 14,000l.; Durham, 18,000l.; Winchester, 14,000l.; Bangor, 5,000l.; Bath and Wells, 5,2007.; Bristol, 1,6501.; Carlisle, 3,500l.; Chester, 2,500l.; Chichester, 3,000l.; Ely, 14,000l.; Exeter, 2,300.; Gloucester, 1,8001.; Hereford, 4,000l.; Lichfield and Coventry,

-3,8001.; Lincoln, 4,200l.; Llandaff, 850/.; Norwich, 2,700l. ; Oxford, 2,000l.; Peterborough, 2,0001.; Rochester, 1,000l.; Salisbury, 3,500l.; St. Asaph, 6,000l.; St. David's, 4,000l.; Worcester, 7,000l.

A Parliamentary Paper, comprising sixtyfour pages, contains a list of all the Royal Palaces, with the parties who have apartments therein; also of all houses in every department belonging to Government throughout the United Kingdom, and by whom they are occupied or tenanted.

Sir J. Vaughan, at the Suffolk Assizes, stated, that to draw the trigger of a loaded gun against an individual was a very serious crime, but the proof that it was the intention of the person merely to hurt, was not sufficient for the purposes of Lord Ellenborough's Act; it must be a grievous bodily hurt. Gamekeepers, he wished it to be well understood, were responsible for the use of their fire-arms; they were not warranted to use them upon every occasion, only when there was any determined resistance.

Progress of Crime.-The proportion of crime in the various counties of England, during the past year, is as follows:-In London and Middlesex, one to 344 inhabitants; in Surrey, one to 570; in Kent, one to 670; in Sussex, one to 660; in Hertford, one to 480; in Essex and Bedford, one to 600. In the manufacturing districts the proportions are:-in Lancashire, one to 530; in Warwick one to 405; in Gloucester, one to 480; in Cheshire, one to 516; in Stafford, one to 620; in Nottingham, one to 630; in Worcester, one to 710; and in Yorkshire, one to 990. In the agricultural districts, where distress has prevailed to a considerable extent, there has been much crime. In Wiltshire one commitment has taken place to every 540 inhabitants; in Somerset, one to 560; in Hampshire, one to 680; in Suffolk, one to 760; in Norfolk, one to 800; in Cambridgeshire, one to 850; in Oxfordshire, one to 720; in Dorsetshire, one to 720; in Leicestershire, one to 908; and in Shropshire, one to 930. In the more remote counties, where the inhabitants are dispersed in small towns and villages, the number of criminals has been comparatively low the smallest portion is in Northumberland, where there has been only one commitment to 2470 inhabitants. In Westmoreland there has been one to 2150; in Durham, one to 2460; in Cornwall, one to 1369, and in Rutland, one to 1260.

Emigration.-By a return just published, we learn that emigration was greatly upon the increase during the year 1831. During the half-year ended the 5th July, 1831, the total number of emigrants who left the May.-VOL. XXXVI. NO. CXXXVII.

United Kingdom, were to the United States, 15,724-British North American colonies, 49,383-Cape of Good Hope, 58 Van Dieman's Land, 423-making a total of 65,588.

By an order in council, published in the Supplement to the "Gazette" of March 27, it is decreed that all vessels carrying fifty passengers, including the crew and master, to the British possessions in North America, or to the United States of America, shall carry a surgeon, in order to prevent, as far as possible, the disease called cholera reaching those places. By another order in council, all vessels departing from Scotland will be required to do the same; and the surgeons, who are to continue the whole of the voyage, it states, will be required to show certificates of their having passed their examination.

The Bridgewater Bequest.-The late Earl of Bridgewater left 8,000l. for the production of a work, having for its object to exemplify the "Wisdom of God in the Creation.' The money was to be at the disposal of the President of the Royal Society. Mr. Gilbert Davies relieved himself of the responsibility, by applying for the advice of the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of London; and they have selected eight persons, mostly clergymen, to write on eight different branches of science, each to produce a quarto volume, price four guineas, and to receive 1,000l. In this way the noble bequest that might have called forth another Paley, will be rendered comparatively useless to the people.

Trade with the Interior of Africa.-One of the brothers Lander, whose courage and perseverance have at length decided that great geographical problem, which has for so many ages excited and baffled the curiosity of mankind, namely, the termination of the Niger, has been in Liverpool for some time, making arrangements for a second expedition into the interior of Africa. The object of the expedition is partly commercial and partly scientific. Two steam-boats, one much less than the other, have been purchased, and loaded with British goods; and it is expected that with the smaller of them Mr. Lander will be able to make his way many hundred miles up the Niger, and to carry on an extensive trade with the negroes on the banks of the river. The larger vessel will also be able to advance a considerable distance up the Niger. It is very well known that immense fairs, at which many thousands of persons assemble from the whole of central Africa, are held from time to time in the large towns on the banks of this river. The only European goods at present exposed for sale at these fairs are

2 F

brought from Tripoli across the desert on the backs of camels, and, owing to the expense and difficulty of this mode of transport, these goods are brought in very small quantities, and sold at extravagant prices. By means of the recently discovered mouths of the Niger, a much easier, safer, and cheaper entrance is furnished into central Africa. The use of steam-boats on the African rivers is itself an interesting circumstance, and perhaps may in a few years produce a complete revolution in the habits of the people, at the same time that it opens new channels of trade and sources of wealth to England, which will, we hope, compensate it for all the British wealth which has been spent, and all the British lives which

have been sacrificed, in exploring the interior of the African continent. The country lying along the banks of the Niger, and the rivers which fall into Lake Tchad, is not inferior in fertility to the valley of the Nile itself; it yields the finest indigo, and indeed every product of tropical climates, and teems with population. We hope most sincerely that Mr. Lander's present expedition will be crowned with success, and that, after having had the honour of adding so greatly to the scientific reputation of England, he will be successful in establishing a commercial intercourse equally advantageous to his own country and to the immense regions which he has opened to European enterprise.

Magnetic Observatories. At a recent meeting of the Academy of Sciences, Baron de Humboldt communicated the important information, that a magnetic observatory had been founded in the island of Cuba, which, together with that of M. Arago at Paris, that of M. de Humboldt at Berlin, and that which the learned Baron has established at Pekin, extends the means of making diurnal magnetic observations over 198 degrees of longitude. All these observatories are furnished with similar instruments by the same maker.

Cholera. The following statistical returns, embracing 2000 cases of Cholera, as it occurred in Berlin, show the different ranks of persons attacked with the disease :Attacked. Died. Cured.

had preserved not only its odour but its taste; charcoal and cinders were found in one of the hearths of a kitchen; near it was found a settle, supposed to be that in which the slave who had the care of the palace slept. These late discoveries have given a new spur to the spirit of search on the part of the Neapolitan Government.

Substitute for Printing.-A new process has been discovered and brought into use at Brussels, whereby French books and journals may be pirated with great facility and perfect accuracy. It consists of an operation, by which, in less than half an hour, the whole of the letter-press upon a printed sheet may be transferred to a lithographic stone, leaving the paper a complete blank. By means of a liquid, the letters transferred to the stone are brought out in relief within the space of another hour, and then, with the usual application of the ordinary printing-ink, 1500 or 2000 copies may be drawn off, resembling minutely the original typography. The immense advantages of this discovery, for which M. Mecus Vandermacien has solicited a patent, may be easily conceived. A first application of this discovery has been made by him upon the "Gazette des Tribunaux," which is to appear at Brussels under a new title.*

Railway across the Isthmus of Darien.A company having for its object the construction of an iron railway from Panama to Porto Bello, was formed in the United States in the year 1828, and it obtained the sanction of the Colombian Government.

Having met with some obstacles, the undertaking was abandoned soon after the death of Bolivar. The project has however been

The Editor of the "Literary Gazette" states that a suggestion of the kind was made in that journal a few years ago.

revived, and two English engineers have been appointed to make an exact survey of the Isthmus, preparatory to the commencement of operations.

Plague and Cholera in Persia.-According to late accounts from the frontiers of Persia, the plague and cholera had hardly begun to subside in that country. In some provinces those formidable diseases had carried off more than two-thirds of the population. The province of Ghillan appearto have been among the greatest sufferers. Out of a population of 300,000, only 60,000 men and 44,000 women and children remained. The eggs of the silkworms have been completely destroyed there, and it was calculated that it would take seven years to produce the same quantity of worms as formerly. Before the arrival of these diseases, the revenues of Ghillan were usually farmed at 350,000 tomauns. Since then, no more than 80,000 tomauns could be obtained.

Progress of the cultivation of the Vine in the Crimea.-A travelier who has long resided in the Crimea, and has visited the greater part of Europe, especially the wine countries, gives it as his opinion that the trade in wine from the Crimea with Hamburgh (where he now is) and England, may in time become very considerable, the strong wines of the south of the Crimea may be substituted for port and for several Spanish wines. The kokour, a good table wine, peculiar to the Crimea, may likewise meet with an extensive sale. As a proof of the rapid progress of this branch of agriculture, it is added, that in 1831 the Crimea produced 600,000 vidros (9,600,000 bottles) of wine, and that the whole quantity has been sold. It is expected that this year the produce will be a million of vidros. Even the Tartars begin to cultivate the vine; the price of land has risen extremely, new roads are opened, the population increases, and every thing in the country prospers. To give an idea of the improvements in the Crimea, it will suffice to say, that in those parts where traders and others could pass only with oxen or on horseback, a kind of diligences are about to be intro

duced, and will begin running in the month of June.

The present force of France, as appeared from the statement of Admiral Rigny, Minister of Marine, consists of 40 ships of the line, 50 frigates, besides several lighter vessels, and 97,000 seamen, of whom 60,000 were perfectly available for actual service. In answer to some suggestions as to the more general employment of steamvessels for purposes of war or commerce, the Admiral observed-and his experience in maritime matters is not small-that in his opinion steam-boats could never be used with advantage in long voyages, because of the great weight and expense of the fuel. Eleven days was the longest voyage that could be properly undertaken with such vessels, and even under such circumstances, he doubted if the freight, as regarded merchandise, would not be lower by sailing-vessels.

The late earthquakes in Italy seem to have been more serious than was at first imagined. The Naples Journal of the 17th March states that at Catanzaro, the royal library, the governor's palace, the hospital, the prison, and a great number of private houses, were seriously damaged, although, most happily, the number of lives lost was very inconsiderable. The " Diario di Roma" of the 21st March contains a letter from Assissi, dated the 15th, stating, that in addition to the other damage done by the earthquake on the preceding night, the magnificent church of Santa Maria degli Angeli was entirely reduced to ruins. At Reggio, the number of chimneys thrown down amount to above 2000. Every house has been more or less damaged, and a great number are rendered uninhabitable. The church of Saint Peter is reduced to a heap of ruins; the steeple of the cathedral must be demolished to its foundation, and not a single public building remains uninjured. At Modena many houses were injured, and such was the terror of the inhabitants that many of them spent several nights in the open air. The Ducal Palace was violently shaken, and the Duke is still so much alarmed, that he passes the night in his carriage in the middle of his gardens.

Spade Cultivation.- Mr. Weyland has brought in a Bill into the House of Commons to authorize, in parishes enclosed under any Act of Parliament, the letting of small portions of land, by overseers, to industrious cottagers. The following are the particulars of the plan adopted by the Rev. T. E. Miller, of Bockelon, near Tenbury, Worcestershire, as described in the notices

issued by the direction of that Rev. gentleman: With a view to the full employment of time, in cases where it might otherwise not be turned to account, and especially to the encouragement of the industry of females and children, it is proposed to let such persons applying for them, as shall hereafter be fixed on, portions of land, at the rate of a quarter of an acre to each